A North Carolina day care worker is facing a felony charge after police say she broke a young boy’s leg while forcing him into a seated position at a child care center.

Ashley Taris, 24, of Raleigh, was arrested last week and charged with negligent child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury, according to court records. Authorities allege the incident occurred in August 2025 at a KinderCare facility.

According to an arrest warrant, investigators interviewed the child, who said Taris injured him while placing him into a “criss-cross applesauce” position — a common seated posture used in classrooms. The child alleged that Taris pulled his leg during the interaction, causing immediate pain.

“The child advised he immediately felt a burn and couldn’t walk,” prosecutors said, according to local reporting.

The warrant states that the action resulted in fractures to the boy’s shinbone and ankle.

Taris was initially cited on a misdemeanor child abuse charge following the incident. That charge was later upgraded to a felony as the severity of the child’s injuries became clear.

A spokesperson for KinderCare said Taris is no longer employed by the company. She had continued working at the facility for a period after the incident under a safety plan implemented with guidance from state officials.

“When this incident occurred last summer we followed our safety protocols and immediately notified both the child’s family and the appropriate agencies,” the company said in a statement.

According to the spokesperson, state officials later directed the company to remove Taris from the center. She was placed on administrative leave in October 2025 and has not worked there since.

Court records also show that Taris filed a lawsuit in January against the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Child Development and Early Education after she was disqualified from providing child care in November 2025 due to her criminal history.

In the complaint, Taris disputes the state’s decision to disqualify her.

Taris appeared in court last week, where her defense attorney said she is currently employed as a housekeeper and has strong family support.

Online jail records indicate she is being held without bond in Wake County.

If convicted, Taris faces a potential sentence of up to seven years and four months in prison. She is scheduled to return to court for a disposition hearing on April 30.

Authorities have not released additional details about the child’s current condition.